


no more red light for me

by dramamine_qt



Category: Fast & Furious (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon Compliant, Dom/sub, Dom/sub as in biological classification, Implied Mpreg, M/M, Misunderstandings, Not Beta Read, it's really just brushed over, nothing graphic, or between the main characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:14:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27644663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dramamine_qt/pseuds/dramamine_qt
Summary: In which Roman spend all his life worrying about who he was just to discover that the only thing he had to be was himself.orRoman was a sub pretending to be a dom until he found out that it didn't really matter.
Relationships: Tej Parker/Roman Pearce
Kudos: 17





	1. 2 Fast 2 Furious

**Author's Note:**

> I think it's a shame how little fanfics there are for this pairing, so I thought that I could contribute to that.
> 
> The chapters follow loosely the events of the movies with the twist that in this world people are classified as sub or dom, I bet you all know the drill.
> 
> Also there is mention of mpreg, but, as said in the tags, it's just brushed over and it doesn't happen between the main pairing.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Roman felt completely justified when he punched Brian in the face when he came to get him. After all this time and just because he needed a favor.

If it wasn’t for the promise of clearing his records out, Roman would be glad to fuck him up. 

Except that, maybe this job could be useful.

“I want one more thing.”

“Say it.” Brian looked the same, but also jagged, like shit didn’t go very well for him either.

“Want my papers changed. You know what I’m talkin’ about.” Oh, he knew, Roman could be as pissed as he wanted at Brian, but he couldn’t deny that there was a bond between them that would probably never fade. They grew up together, they struggled together.

They were both subs trying to survive in a place where being born with that classification meant they were somehow less than the other ones. While Brian was, in appearance, the textbook kind of sub, Roman wasn't cute or pretty or amiable, and they found out that if people believed he was a dom, life could be a lot more easy.

To this day, in all but his official classification, Roman was a dom. 

Brian nodded and licked his lips, looking back at the badged guy waiting for them before saying, “that’s already part of the deal. We need a dom and a sub for this. You know what you gonna do.”

Something was up. No way the feds would be alright with falsifying someone’s classification.

“What are you not telling me?”

“Can we talk about this later? We have to go.”

“Now.” Roman wanted his freedom, but he wasn’t taking no shit. Roman might not have the inherent authority doms had, but him and Brian had some history, they knew each other enough to recognize their tones.

Brian sighed and messed those blonde curls of his.

“We need to act like a bonded couple. I can’t… well, I can’t do this with someone who truly is a dom.” he shrugged. “And it’s not like there’s a lot of subs out there that I trust and that can play it off.”

Roman could only snort. “You fucking asshole." That clearly wasn't the entire thing, but for more curiosity Roman had, he refused to let Brian think they were buddies again by asking for details. Fuck Brian O'Conner.

Roman was mad at everything and would be for a while, but at least he'd be angry out in the open, racing and, hopefully, earning some money. Above all of this, he'd be officially a dom to anyone else's eyes, so he'd be good.

“Fine, whatever. Let’s do this.” 

-

-

Miami was a freaking paradise. Sun, beach, pretty people to look at. Roman’s idea of a good time.

Brian introduced him to the scene, guys into racing and cars, and a dom, Tej, who seemed to be the boss in the area. 

Roman knew how these doms with power and influence could be. Complete jerks that got off by controlling people and asserting themselves by force. Tej was none of that. Actually, he was definitely the most laid-back guy Roman had seen in awhile.

Which was annoying, because Tej providing him a place to stay, a garage to work on his car, and being incredibly solicitous with someone who he’d just met and who was fresh out of jail/probation was very disturbing for Roman. 

He never had to break a sweat pretending to be something he wasn’t when people simply didn't give a shit to you. Roman usually didn't have to fight the stupid instincts that came with having a submissive nature, because he hardly ever met the temptations to give in on.

But, well, Tej was kinda bringing it up.

Luckily, the man was too busy doing his own thing to notice Roman slipping occasionally.

Roman knew that he confused everyone around him. No one could say for sure what was his deal, because his suppressant plus the scent masks made him appear like a beta, but his demeanor and attitude could easily be taken as a dominant one. 

He liked it. Whatever people thought about him, it would never be the real thing and that was enough.

The problem was that Roman found himself enjoying being near a dom all the time now. Between the shits he had to do with Brian, Roman found himself making excuses to do things with Tej (the man was a fucking hedonist, he knew how to have fun, making it even harder to resist). Racing, beach, drinking, laughing at stupid jokes.

Tej made Roman feel good, and that was bad. 

He couldn't be more relieved to finish the mission and get out of there before he made something idiot like bare his neck and bond with a dom after years living in the promise of NOT doing that.

Throughout his life, Roman hated his classification, not always for the same reason, but he still couldn't make peace with that part of himself, the one thing he wasn't able to change.

At first, the aversion was simple, anyone with a brain knew how much being a sub sucked. Their natural traits – nurturing and team centering – had always been misinterpreted as weakness and dependence in a way that they were often treated like lessen creatures, more like someone who they got to control and boss around, someone incapable of thinking for themselves and who would be fine coming in second place.

When Roman was a kid he faced a lot of this crap. Children could be mean little devils when they wanted to and he had to punch some noses to get them out of his way.

To top the regular prejudice subs had to fight on a daily basis, there was also the idea that being a submissive was the same as giving consent, as if, by existing, they were begging to be claimed.

Damn, Roman hated it – who wouldn't? – and his only plan to get around it was fighting back, forcefully clarifying that he would do anything to protect himself from prying unwanted hands or words. All while hating his entire being, while wishing he hadn't been born at all if it meant living like that.

That was when he met Brian. The prettiest, craziest sub to ever exist.

Their paths crossing changed the game for Roman, because while Brian had a too stereotypical appearance to pretend to be anything else, Roman was strong and tall and could pass as a dom if he tried. And try he did, because both were angry and boundless, and together they couldn't care less about systems and tradition. They pushed each other to do more with what they had. 

So, they created a dynamic that worked perfectly for their young reckless selves. Roman took suppressants for the first time, so his scent wouldn't be immediately identified, and that gave them freedom to do shit other than struggle to be left alone every day. 

Unfortunately, kids can be real dumb and they got caught busting a car.

Juvie was a bitch. Roman was grateful that this sort of place divided people by classifications, so they hadn't had to deal with doms. But Roman still felt like shit, he was in a moment where he couldn't stand anything. He was mad all the time and didn’t know why.

Even noticing that he and Brian were drifting apart from each other, Roman was too tied up in his own feelings, unable to stand by Brian's fear and isolation.

When they got out, they ended up taking absolute opposite ways, Brian went and became a detective while Roman stayed on his lane and opened a garage. Eventually shit escalated – naturally, he'd say – and soon he got himself involved with illegal car parts. 

Next time he got caught it was very different. It wasn't juvie anymore and even if Roman had his classification clear on his files, he got thrown amid doms anyway.

-

-

“Are you gonna tell me what happened?” Roman asked, they had just put Verone in jail and stuffed their pockets with his money. They had talked about opening a garage together or something, but he could see inside Brian’s eyes that that wasn’t going to happen. He leaned into the balcony of the hotel room they got for the night, moving from Miami for a while in case shit went wrong.

“What are you talking about?” Brian took a swing of his beer and avoided Roman’s gaze.

“Everyone was treating you like a bonded man, dude, and, look, I know I’m the greatest actor ever, but  _ that _ , would be too much between us.” Brian chuckled. “So, what’s up?”

“I… well, I bonded with some guy a couple of years ago.” He said and, to Roman’s raised eyebrow, he continued, “He was my target. I made a mistake.”

“You never do things by half, eh?”

“I wish I haven’t done anything at all.” Brian lost himself in thoughts for an instant. “I fell for him. I knew that it couldn’t happen, that I would have to turn him in sooner or later, but I just… couldn’t stop.”

“Did you? Turn him in?” That would be cold, but would definitely explain the absolute misery in the guy’s face.

“No.” Brian laughed without humor. “No, I let him go. I lost him and then I lost my job, my life.”

Roman didn’t know what to respond to that, both of them were used to losses and they knew they would never stop happening.

“Who is this?”

He could see that Brian tried to bite back a smirk at the question, which meant that he had been up to no good and that Roman would probably love or hate the answer.

“Dominic Toretto.”

_ Motherfucker _ . So Brian really went there and bonded with the King of Streets huh.

“Wait- Are you telling me your dom is called Dom? Dom Dom? Jesus Christ.” 

Brian’s smile was genuine this time.

“Yeah, blame his parents for this.”

“Sure I do.” Roman also drank from his bottle. He’d never, ever, imagined Brian wanting to settle down, they used to be wild cards, chasing adrenaline, freedom, not someone to play house with. But that was life. “What you gonna do?”

“The fuck I can do? I can’t change his name.”

“About the future, asshole.”

“Again, fuck if I know.” Brian looked down, cleaning his throat. “I was offered my job back.”

Roman rolled his eyes. “Of course.”

He would never,  _ ever _ , understand Brian’s hots for the law enforcement. The man was a crazy fucker, he always had the wildest plans that  _ did not _ include following the rules. For someone who had little to none respect for the system, Brian sure kept diving into it.

“Do whatever, man.” Roman said, knowing well that trying to convince his bullheaded friend was just a waste of saliva. “Call me when you want to steal some big money again.”

It was a joke, but Brian obviously didn’t get the memo, because not much later he was on the run  _ again _ and needed help to wipe a Brazilian crime lord clean.

Ok, sure, why not?


	2. Fast Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: there's some kind of smut in this one, it's on the second section of the chapter.

Seeing Tej again was GOOD. It was like going back in time to where they parted, nothing had changed. Actually, nothing had changed between them, but Tej looked neater, the crazy hairdo was gone and he ditched the loose clothes. He looked like someone Roman would gladly climb like a tree.

It was such a relief to see that the man was still _unbonded_. Not that it was Roman's business, but he'd thought Tej would hook up with one of those tanned subs from Miami and settle down. Brian, of all people, bonded with a big bald guy. Nothing was impossible.

At this point of his life, Roman wasn't pretending to be a dom or a beta anymore, not actively. He was living and trying to get by without feeling the pressure of being someone else.

What he didn’t expect was how much he would struggle with that.

‘Getting by’ wasn’t helping him find his inner sub or what the fuck his body needed. He didn't know how to be himself without having a script of how to be.

The fact that Brian, the man he used to protect and shield from the world, was out there thriving, happily settling down with someone he loved within a family that saw his worth despite anything, made Roman taste a different kind of bitterness.

Roman would look at himself in the mirror and face a piece that didn't fit anywhere. He had attempted to let his guards down, let the instincts take over only to be assaulted by anxiety and panic attacks. Especially around the team, only the idea of them knowing the truth was enough to leave him shaking.

He went for strangers then. But even if Roman had stopped posturing and acting like a textbook dom, he couldn’t make himself abandon the suppressants, risking the team figuring him out by his scent.

He was swimming against the flow. Roman would, probably, never know what a fucking subspace felt like.

All Roman wanted was to stop hating himself. He felt like missing out on something all the time, he couldn't have what doms had and couldn't have what subs had – a machine he broke himself too soon and now wouldn't work again – and this lack of belonging was eating him inside.

So, yeah, Roman was glad to have an impossible heist coming in, a probable suicide mission, so he had something to distract himself from these feelings. 

About Tej, he decided to be fine with being just friends with him. Not thinking about it and trying not to hang on to something that was bound to end in disaster was the best he could do. 

Besides Brian, Tej was the person he was more comfortable around and risking losing it was a terrible prospect. If Tej somehow returned his feelings and said yes, it’d be even worse, because, what the hell would he say yes to? What Roman could even offer to him? All he had was a big mouth and a shell he created and couldn't fill. 

No. He would keep it to himself until he figured himself out. He wasn’t even sure if he had a chance at all.

The problem was that life was an impatient bitch and waited for no one.

One day they had the plan straightened out, they ate and drank together, certain that nothing was left out and they would be rich as fuck next day. Brian felt happy and safe enough to drop the pregnancy bomb.

Brian O’Conner. A father.

That was the kind of news that could make one have extremely mixed feelings. Roman saw how bright his friend’s smile was when he told them the news, he was glowing, fulfilled. And that was amazing. Roman was the one within the team that got to see most of the things Brian went through during his life, his struggles, how much he worked to be where he is now, so he could affirm that he was the proudest of him between them all.

But that didn’t prevent him from taking a couple of coronas outside and face some of his own darkness, unable to stop projecting, thinking how they fell from the same tree but rolled so far apart. Brian had found his place, found joy where he once only had hatred.

He felt falling behind.

Next day everything went to shit. Busted by the cops, the plan fell through, Roman only got away because he and some of the others left right before the police busted their place.

Roman took pride in being someone capable of lighting any situation, he was the talker, the person who knew how to create distractions and redirect people’s attention and worries. He could be counted on lifting the spirits of any dark mood at any time. But in that moment, alone in his car, listening to the fuss of the others over the comm, all he could do was freak out.

He imagined going to jail and having to deal with that hell all over again. He imagined having to fight for his life once more like he had just walked in circles for all those years. All Roman could think about was being stripped off the choice once again, just when he reached the point where he finally could decide for himself.

So he turned the voices off and floored. Flight or fight and Roman was in no shape to fight.

His phone rang and that wasn’t a surprise, but he looked at the screen and saw Tej’s name and, for once, Roman felt fragile, needy, unwilling to face whatever was coming his way by himself. That was why he answered.

“ _Roman, where are you!?_ ” Tej’s voice was frantic and Roman could faintly hear the other’s voices in the background, because normal people discussed their situation instead of spiraling and panicking. “ _What the fuck, man? Are you ok?_ ”

“Yeah, yeah… I…” Roman licked his lips, his mouth was as dry as sandpaper and he truly didn’t know how to elaborate.

“ _Look, we are retreating. They took Dom, Brian, Mia and Vince. We could try to take them back, but we need to find a safe place first._ ” There was a pause, a silence that Roman didn’t fill. “ _Tell me where you are so I can guide you._ ”

“No.”

“ _What the hell do you mean by_ no _?_ ”

“I’m not going.” 

“ _What the fuck are you talking about?_ ” Tej was understandable confused, but he also sounded impatient and angry, expecting from Roman something he refused to deliver.

Roman could picture where this was coming from, he was supposed to be fearless and not turn back from the fight, he was supposed to work to keep everyone else safe and stable, he was supposed to keep his head on the game no matter what happened. Tej thought that he and Roman had the same mindset and that was far from the truth.

“I’m saying…” he started, slow, a mad headache blooming on his temples, “that I can’t.”

Tej waited a bit for the rest of the sentence, but when it didn’t come he sucked in a breath and asked, “ _Can’t what? You have to work with me here, man.”_

“I…” Roman sniffled and blinked some unwanted tears. Fuck his entire life. “I can’t deal with his shit.”

“ _Rome, are you crying?_ ” the tone of the question was way softer than before and Roman left out a watery laugh imagining Tej’s face, how he could go from edgy to gentle in seconds and how his sensibility was amazing.

“No, are you?”

“ _No, but I’m going to if you don’t stop playing games and talk to me._ ”

Roman sighed. He should have seen this breakdown of his coming a mile away. His lately proximity with Brian and Tej could only end in some sort of existential crisis, something that just needed a little push to fall through the edge.

“I think I need help.” He blurted out. “I think- I think I’m dropping and I don’t know what to do.”

Drop. The word should do the trick – the vocabulary surrounding this fucked up system was very specific – and Roman started hyperventilating over it, because it was not just telling someone for the first time but also admitting defeat, admitting how lost he was.

He heard a hush of air on the other side.

“ _Did I understand it right? Had you just lied to-?_ ” there was another deep breath, “ _you know what? It doesn’t matter, we’ll talk about that later. Do something for me, look around and tell me what you see. Look if there is an address written somewhere._ ”

Inevitably, Roman felt like a child listening to instructions, but also grateful, because his brain was filled with static and his alternative plan was to drive until none of this mess could touch him anymore. He did what he was told.

“ _Ok, great, I’m not too far._ ” Roman could hear Tej’s tires screeching and him being busy for a second. “ _How are you doin’?”_

Roman snorted. “Well, I hate everything that’s going on right now.”

“ _I_ _t’s not your usual day, is it? You don’t seem so breathless anymore, what are you feeling? Any pain?”_

"Yeah, pain in the ass with you trying to coddle me." He replied, gritting his teeth and remembering one of the main reasons for him to want to keep it a secret. Roman couldn't stand being treated as a fragile thing, he'd spent a whole life building a self sufficient persona to let it dissolve in the name of a label.

He almost could feel how hard Tej rolled his eyes to that.

" _Are you aware that I'm not going to just pick you up, right_ ?" For a fact, Tej was a chill guy, maybe that was why he put up with Roman's shit most of the time. He didn't mind his jokes and deflection, seemingly always ready to take that on stride. His tone now, although, didn't leave space for that, which let it clear to Roman that their easy going relationship came from a choice Tej deliberately made. Roman blamed his frail senses for the shivers that went down his body. " _You said it yourself: you need help. So you better wrap your mind around_ receiving _that help._ ”

Before Roman’s thoughts could wander into dangerous places, imagining what kind of help Tej was talking about, he decided to stick in the present and what Tej had asked him to begin with.

“Fine, whatever. It’s- it is whatever, a regular freak out, I guess. I can’t, I mean, it’s getting hard to focus.” Roman licked his dry lips. How could he explain that he felt like breaking up, engulfed by an assortment of fears – for himself, for Brian, for the future –, anxious shitless about what was going to happen now that not just someone on the team knew but Tej from all people.

These people were his family now and he had been hiding himself from them all this time, there was a big chance they wouldn’t understand or forgive him for that.

“I guess I want a hug.”

Tej laughed, a borderline hysterical laughter, but better than nothing.

“ _I bet.”_ A black and white turned in the corner and despite everything Roman left out a relieved breathe, not being alone anymore was enough comfort.

“Is that my white knight shining on the horizon?” Roman commented, because if he didn’t make fun of _something_ he’d explode.

“ _Wouldn’t count on it. More like a dark punisher, baby._ ” And, yeah, Tej looked stern as fuck on Roman’s rear visor, he walked towards him, leaned into the driver’s door and gave it two quick knocks with his knuckles.

He seemed pissed, but concerned, but exasperated.

Roman at least had the decency to offer him an ashamed grin.

“Hugs?”

-

-

Roman shouldn’t be surprised by Tej’s readiness, the man clearly had done some obscure shit in the past considering his knowledge over things that, really, why would he know this? So, when he got them a room under fake identity, Roman just went on with it.

“What did you tell the others?” Roman asked while sitting on the bed and testing its softness. He was way less stressed after learning that Brian, Dom and Mia were safe somewhere (Vince’s tragedy didn’t get to him so badly, they barely knew each other).

“Texted Gisele. I said we had some business to attend before regrouping.” Tej was methodically emptying his pockets on the dresser, keys, wallet, some coins.

“Did she buy that shit?”

Tej shrugged. “Probably not. She already thinks we’re fucking.”

Roman choked on nothing. He’d been trying to look cool, but to the hell with that.”

“We’re _not_ fucking!” Luck him that his blushing wasn’t an obvious thing.

“Oh, really?” Tej rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t aware of that.”

“Don’t be such an asshole! I mean right now, we’re not fucking. _This_ -“ he gestured around and between them, “is not about fucking. No fucking is going on here in this afternoon.”

Tej walked towards him and stopped right in front of him. He put his hands on Roman’s shoulders, they felt heavy and warm on his skin and he instinctively leaned forward chasing more of that.

“I know, baby. I didn’t think we would, but see,” Tej’s hands went up to his neck until they were cupping his face. It was like Roman’s brain was slowly being substituted by cotton. “whatever shit you were taking before isn’t working right now and you need touch, need attention. Isn’t it good?”

Roman nodded. He swallowed dry and tried to keep it for himself for once, but during his attempts to learn something about his nature, Roman had doms trying to ease him into all of this mellow shenanigans and, really, he thought maybe he was incapable of that.

Or, maybe, at the time he wasn’t so on the edge, because if touch could burn he’d probably be on fire by now.

“Great. Why don’t you get comfortable and we lay down for a bit?” That Tej was taking it seriously was simultaneously reassuring and absurd. Roman was waiting for the moment where the judgment would come, where the man would laugh at his inability. But, well, Tej seemed quite into it. And that was _nice_.

“I’ll take my pants off if you take yours.” He really didn’t want to be wearing jeans for whatever they were going to do and he was glad that his request also took a snort from him. “Comfortable means pantless for me and I ain’t gonna be on my boxers with you fully clothed.”

“If you wanted to look you could’ve just said, man.” Tej retorted jokingly and they awkwardly took off their pants (talking about awkward, Roman had to refrain himself from making fun of Tej’s height, what an irony to have a short dom and an overgrown sub together, his life was indeed a joke). “Well, that is infinitely better already.”

Tej went to the center of the bed and laid down on his back. Roman’s swallowed dry watching him, trying to remember why he was so resistant about sleeping with him.

“Come here.” Tej called, his voice a bit rougher and Roman noticed that he had been staring. He bit his lip and went after Tej, choosing to lay beside him, head on his chest, an arm around his waist. This position was safe and comfortable and he melted almost immediately, like the outside world ceased existing.

“Can I touch you?” Roman heard Tej asking and he didn’t even pay the question a second thought, whatever Tej wanted to do with him at this point, he could.

“Yeah. Please.” His words came out a little slurred, his eyes had been closed for a while.

“Good, so good.” Tej pulled him even closer, a hand found its way under Roman’s shirt, burning his skin whenever Tej’s fingertips touched on. A broken sound came out of Roman’s throat, the part of him that was still aware and could still feel shame attempted to hide his face on Tej’s neck. That was when that part left, because the scent of his was stronger there. All Roman felt was Tej, the touch, the smell, the _taste_.

Roman licked a strip of skin on Tej’s neck, he could not not do it when it was right there, and the sounds that the man made in reaction to it just undid Roman.

Soon he was kissing and biting, he wanted more. He wanted to straddle him and take everything, there was so much to explore and Tej was so warm, so goddamn inviting.

“Hey, Rome, easy.” Tej held the hand Roman had on the other side of his neck, holding him in place like he would run away or something. As if. “I’m here, right? I won’t go anywhere.”

Tej changed their places so he could pine Roman to the mattress, limiting his access to him and putting some distance between them, even if one of his thighs was between Roman’s legs. And, yeah, he was hard. But not desperately hard to be crazy to get off like he usually was, he was hard as in feeling so good he wanted it to never end.

The new position gave him a pause to breathe, both were panting.

“If I told you to stay put and not move, would you do that for me?” Tej asked, leaning over him, tempting, Roman could barely understand the words coming out of his mouth when his lips were so close, full and red, imploring to be kissed. And, oh god, what wouldn’t he do to kiss Tej. He instinctively thrust against his thigh, unable to stop himself. The predator smirk that it took out of Tej should be illegal. “That’s not the answer I wanted. Try again.”

Roman whined. Could he even form words anymore?

With some effort, he stilled himself, hands closed in fists on Tej’s shirt and hips unmoving.

“That’s it”, Tej said, coming down and biting and pulling at Roman earlobe, taking a moan out of him. “So pretty. Do you even know how beautiful you are right now?”

He kissed Roman’s jaw line, making his way to his chin in a promise. Roman felt himself trembling with expectation, the word ‘please’ dancing on the tip of his tongue.

At some point, Roman closed his eyes again, unable to keep them open, unable to handle the intensity of his feelings. So, when he felt Tej’s hand under his thigh, massaging and coaching him to bend his knee, Roman gasped, his muscles spamming. Never in his life had his body reacted like that.

“I want you to feel what you do to me, baby. You’re so good, I want you so bad, you don’t even know.” And there it was, Tej’s erection rubbing against Roman’s leg, heavy and hot. He felt his mouth salivating.

Roman whined again, almost like a cry, thinking about all the things he wanted to do with him but fighting to control himself, to stay still, just like Tej asked him to.

“You are perfect, Rome.” He murmured, a hand slipping inside Roman’s shirt, a palm pressing against his nipple. Tej swallowed Roman’s moan down with a kiss, their first kiss, their mouths crashing together like magnets.

Roman was so overwhelmed, feeling so much at the same time, all he wanted to do was bring Tej close and close until there wasn’t any space between them anymore.

Tej bit his lower lip and licked it, shoving his tongue inside Roman’s mouth again like he wanted to put a claim on it.

He didn’t even notice he had been rutting against Tej’s leg until he suddenly came, ridding it out while Tej left soft kisses on his cheek, under his ear, on his neck. Roman was incredibly out of his game, he couldn’t even process what was going on with him in that moment. So he let himself just feel, go with the flow of his emotions.

“That’s it, you’re doing so good. That’s exactly how I wanted you.” And Roman was eating Tej’s words up, his chest swelling with pride, with accomplishment, he couldn’t think of anything else besides being wrapped up with Tej and just being.

When he woke up, Roman didn’t even remember falling asleep. He remembered floating, like he weighed nothing, perfectly content and then, he was opening his eyes, feeling like he had just got ten uninterrupted hours of sleep.

Tej was by his side, in the same position it was in the start, safe and comfortable.

“Hi.” Tej said.

“Hi.” Now that his mind was in its place, Roman couldn’t think of what happened without some embarrassment. Jesus, he was really about to beg, wasn’t him?

“How are you feeling?” Tej sounded soft and sleepy.

“I feel a whole lot better.” He stretched out and went to get up, but Tej held him gently by the wrist.

“We still have some time, chill man.”

Indulging himself one more time, Roman gave him a brief kiss before leaving the bed and searching for his pants. “The soon we get there, the sooner we sort this out.”

“Maybe we should talk.”

Roman rolled his eyes, that was _exactly_ what he wanted to avoid. “Should we? I mean, thanks dude, I owe you big time. But I really, _really_ , don’t want to talk about it.”

“I see”. Tej wasn’t impressed. Actually, he looked pissed as hell and he closed off, silent while gathering his things.

During their ride back, Roman couldn’t help himself but talk his head off about everything and anything, attempting to fill the void created between them. Tej wasn’t picking the bait though, too tense for it, too immersed in his own thoughts.

“Why did you lie?” Tej asked, suddenly, cutting a shitty anecdote Roman was telling him. “I get why you’d want your papers like that, but why not tell the team about it? Why not tell me?”

“Why would I?” Roman’s walls were right back up. “It ain’t your business.”

Tej’s nostrils were flared, he was gripping the steering wheel like his life depended on it and pissed was too little to describe what was on his face. He nodded nonetheless. “You’re right, none of my business, as if I don’t fucking care about you. As if you don’t trust me to help you unless you’re fucking losing your shit. Because, yeah, friends don’t give a fuck if someone they care about is neglecting himself just because.”

“And what do you think you could do?” Roman saw Tej glance at him, reminding him what had just happened between them. “The fuck, Tej, want to be my dom?”

“Oh my god! You don’t want me, fine! Pick anyone, I don’t care, just… stop pretending you don’t need it.” Tej looked down at the end, the fire starting to dissolve on his eyes. He let out a laugh devoid of humor. “Look, I want to get it straight with you… I- shit, man, I…”

“Spell it out! Do you have a problem with me or what?”

“ _That_ ’s why it’s so hard to say it! You can never shut the fuck up and you’re so stupidly stubborn I don’t know why I even like you!”

Roman raised an eyebrow. “Did you just say you like me?”

“ _Fuck._ ” Tej murmured to himself, but it was too late and the damage was already done.

“You like _like_ me?” Roman laughed, it was too good. “Why am I surprised? _Who_ doesn’t have a crush on this delicious piece of ass, right?”

“Jesus fucking Christ, man, think with your brain for once.” Even embarrassed – flushed, Roman noted, delighted – Tej slapped Roman’s chest twice with the back of his hand, making a point not taking his eyes off the road. “I am a fucking idiot thirsting for the goddamn asshole of a dom. A fucking jerk that can’t stop talking about all the subs he had dicked down, so yeah, I was fine with that. But, well, here we are now. How do you think I am feeling right now?”

Shit, yeah, okay, Roman didn’t think about it.

So, Tej admitted having feelings. Roman didn’t do feelings, never did and would never do. But, worse than not doing feelings was that Roman had feelings for Tej since the start, him being the awesome bastard that he was.

But he couldn’t.

“Let’s just forget it. For now. Please.” Roman said and Tej let out a deep breath.

“For now.”

-

-

Their suicide mission on Rio went out surprisingly well. There was so much money inside that damn safe and Roman was _happy_. With that kind of financial assurance he could do and go wherever he wanted so, yeah, he could cry of happiness.

Roman spent a lot with cars and was wasting it all like a mad man, fuck everything.

At some point he actually missed seeing familiar faces and the first place he thought of going was Tej’s new garage. Roman had laughed of how little Tej’s plans with their earnings were, but what car lover wouldn’t like to have his own well equipped garage?

Their friendship was… different. Roman didn’t know if he liked or hated it.

The banter was basically the same, but he noticed Tej acting _softer_ around him. Lingering touches, casual caring (like buying too much food for himself so he hadn’t other choice but to share), a somewhat refined ability to filter what was bullshit and what carried some truth on what came out of Roman’s mouth.

It was new for Roman to have things without going out of his way to get them, he could easily get used to it and that wouldn’t do. He was out after a while, convincing himself that he didn’t want some dom trying to carve his way into his heart.


	3. Furious 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short one here, my dudes.

The team got summoned  _ again _ into  _ another _ impossible mission and this time not just Roman and Tej were exponentially more awkward around each other (actually, Roman did his best to pretend that nothing changed, but Tej seemed to still be butt-hurt by his avoidance, so there wasn’t much he could do, right?) but there was also the inclusion of a new member – a pretty and smart unbonded sub –, Ramsey. 

Roman talked a lot of shit, he knew that and did that on purpose most of the time, calling attention to his crap made it a hell lot easier to hide the important things. So, to maintain his particular circus coherent he felt obligated to do his thing and hit on her. 

The problem was that Tej seemed to have the same idea and they ended up looking like two alpha males fighting over a prey. 

The problem was that Roman was sure he didn’t want Tej for himself, but also sure that he didn’t want him with anyone else.

“I thought you liked a little competition.” Brian approached him saying, elbowing him and disturbing his staring session to where Tej and Ramsey were nerding out together.

“Is this even a competition?” The bitterness of his response was uncharacteristic. Bitter he was. A dom and a sub getting along, both outstanding smart and gorgeous, both unbonded, all smiles and things in common, the picture of the traditional dove loving pairing.

“Ahn… this sounds serious.”

Roman just shook his head, sighing. Brian handed him a beer and he accepted it.

“Are you really into Ramsey?” Brian’s confusion was understandable, because Roman avoided doing the do with other subs. Not that people would know that, with how much of them he went out and bragged about later even if nothing happened. “I mean, which is okay, don’t get me wrong.”

Roman rolled his eyes and signaled him to follow him into someplace more private. “She’s cute, but she’s not my type.”

“So, I guess it’s safe to say that  _ Tej _ is the one you’re so jealous of.” Brian scoffed and smiled down at him. “Should have seen it coming.”

“He knows.” that wiped out Brian’s light humor.

“What!? Did you just… tell him?”

It was almost impossible to make Roman feel embarrassment. Almost. Because right now he was really close to feeling embarrassed. 

“I… kinda showed him.” he was glad that Brian was taking this with surprised amusement, it made him slightly less pathetic for hanging on to feelings he’d been denying so hard it was putting him off of his game.

“Jesus, when did that happen- or, better question, why aren’t you together?” 

“Dude, don’t be one of those people who are happily bonded and think that everyone else must be too.” Brian opened his mouth to defend himself, but Roman didn’t let him. “It’s not for me. Period.”

“What does he think about it?”

“Who cares?” 

“Okay, right, he thinks you’re a jerk and he’s right.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

Brian ignored and looked pensive on the general direction where Tej and Ramsey had been working on.

“I think he’s posturing, you know? Just like you. Looks like he’s trying to make  _ you  _ jealous. Wouldn’t something already have happened between them if he was really interested?”

“And where is it my problem? I told you, I don’t want anyone in my life.”

“The thing is that he’s already in your life, all of us are, we are family and we’re here to stay, no matter what. Look around, Rome, don’t you think it’s time to consider that these people are safe enough for you to be yourself?”

“I don’t know what the fuck it means…” The bottle was forgotten on his hand, sweating and making him feel uncomfortable to be holding it. He put it down, but then he didn’t know what to do with his arms. “I don’t know what it means to be myself.”

“Geez, man…” Brian put a soothing hand on his shoulder. “I can’t give you the answers, it took too long for me to find where I belonged and I’m sure shit will click together for you when you realize that being yourself is just being.”

Roman scoffed. “Are you giving me life advice now? Is that what you doing?”

Laughing, Brian took a swing of his beer. “I sure am, have to pay you somehow from all those years back then. Do you remember? Two kids against the world.”

Catching Roman’s fond smile, Brian continued, “you took care of me when no one else would and I wish I could have done the same for you. You deserve to be taken care of too, you know?”

The silence between them after that spoke volumes. With a couple pats on Roman’s shoulder, Brian stood and left him with his thoughts.

-

-

Ramsey was a hot potato and everyone wanted a piece of that.

They were all high in adrenaline by the end of a night of throwing the girl around and running from missiles. They could have died.

Dom almost did.

Roman had never seen Brian like that, so desperate, so lost. He’d probably die too if Dom didn’t open his eyes. Brian broke two of his ribs making chest compressions, but he brought him back.

Watching it happen truly made Roman see their relationship with a new light. Until then, Dom had been just the guy Brian had fallen for, a guy that Roman had to get used to because there was no way to have Brian’s presence without having his too.

Now he finally could see what being bonded was about.

The fear of losing. The certainty of not being given up to.

After seeing Brian’s relieved smile and the couple being gross with each other (alive, thanks god), Roman couldn’t help but look at Tej, who also had been focused on the scene ahead but that seemed to notice his gaze and turned to him too.

Roman smiled at him, because they made it and because he was happy they pulled that crazy plan off and well and he had the chance to look at Tej’s face again.

He was happy that there wouldn’t be more mourning, no more funerals and that, at least for tonight, they were safe.

Tej was confused at first by the openness on his face, but then he also smiled, shocking his head as always, like he’d never get used to Roman’s way but would always be amused by it.

_ Oh, fuck _ .

Roman was in love.


	4. The Fate of the Furious

After surviving having to go against not just Dom but also Brian, and the possibility of having a terrible death under inches of ice and nuclear matter, Roman considered himself an unstoppable man. He was probably immortal at this point.

Cypher kidnapped Brian’s son and after some dangerous shenanigans, they got him back, safe and sound.

On their little happy family reunion, Roman thought a bit more and decided that his unstoppableness finished when the part that didn’t involve cars and guns started.

All the bullshit going on between Roman, Tej and Ramsey only served to make Roman extra self conscious and tired of trying to sell himself and look less of a loser in front of them.

Tej was everything someone would want. Smart with a witty tongue, laid back – the chillest guy ever, an open invite to hang out and just be happy to be alive –, good looking and the least overbearing dom around. He didn’t bother posturing or showing off because he simply didn’t need to.

So, why the hell Ramsey was still undecided?

Roman’s confidence was made up. He relied on the fact that he was handsome and had very little shame, which were the perfect tools to navigate life, because if people were looking at him and seeing a self assured, funny and roomy dom, they wouldn’t doubt him.

He liked to complain about it, but he knew he wasn’t the smartest one in the room, or the more skilled, or the strategist. He was just the bait, the muscle guy, the big mouth capable of calling attention while the others were doing the important stuff.

He was a fucking liar.

He was a useless liar, always afraid to not be left behind.

But he kept going with the theatrics, because what else could he do? On the bright side, while Roman was between them, Tej and Ramsey wouldn’t get together. It also helped keeping shit light, masking all the thoughts that kept him awake at night.

Roman was glad when she called both of them off and walked away during their gathering. He was too happy to have this to distract him. Dom and Brian had their pup back, they all had miraculously survived Cypher’s attacks and things were peaceful again.

No worries. Roman loved it.

With Ramsey gone, Roman instantly relaxed. Tej too, he could see, as both of them seemed to lose the desire to keep posturing and talking about her.

They sat down, drinking their beers, feeling the sun on their faces. Life sometimes was good.

Roman looked at where Brian, Dom and the kid were having their own particular reunion. If Roman hadn’t imagined Brian settling down and finding a dom, he definitely had not pictured him having children and starting a family like this.

Surprisingly, Roman thought that it suited him.

“Have you even thought about being a father?” Tej asked, catching him staring.

“Yikes. No.” Roman shivered just thinking about having some sort of parasite growing inside of him. No way.

Tej rolled his eyes. “I’m not talking about delivering a baby,” he started, laughing at Roman’s disgusted face. “I’m talking about settling down, you know? Partnering up,  _ adopting _ some pups, shit like that.”

Did Roman want it? He looked around and saw families everywhere, Hobbs and his daughter, Letty and a pregnant Elena, and a whole lot of people that weren’t bonded by blood but that easily would die for each other.

He had spent the majority of his life believing that he only had himself to count on. So, it was still difficult for him to believe that he was somehow part of that or that he had the choice now.

“I don’t know. I… well, I didn’t think I’d come far enough to actually consider it.” He shrugged and made a point not looking at Tej, knowing that he would probably be sad for him or whatever. “Do you want to?”

“I ain’t against a calmer life for once.” He snorted. “I mean, I have my garage, my cars, and my tech to play around. It’s nice to wake up and have things waiting for you, a place that is yours to come back to.”

“You sound like my grandpa.” Roman joked, relaxing on the bench they were sharing, their knees touching. “Does your retirement include a sweet little sub and a dozen of little brats?”

He knew that making that question was the same as asking for trouble. They had unfinished business to sort out and getting into this wouldn’t help them keep running from having  _ that _ talk.

Tej raised an eyebrow in a way that said  _ isn’t it obvious _ , but he decided to indulge Roman anyway.

“Nah. Not sweet, not little. Doesn’t even have to be a sub if they don’t want to.”

Roman shocked his head and the desire to react badly to that was  _ huge _ , but he didn’t find the fire to it within himself. He ended up just sighing and relaxing back in a way that their shoulders were aligned too and they were basically leaning into each other.

It was hard to stay mad at someone because they liked you.

“Are you telling me that you don’t care? Don’t mind it at all?” Roman retorted, pointedly looking around, they could be all fuck ups in there, but none of them had stepped outside this particular box.

Roman would never be a traditional sub. He’d questioned himself and realized that even if he could he wouldn’t. He didn’t know to be one and he had no wish to learn. So, if Tej really wanted something to happen, he’d had to wrap his head around it.

“Nope,” was the answer, “because that’s the Roman Pearce that I met years ago, that’s you right now. That’s the you I know and fell in love with. Why would I want a different one? I don’t give two fucks at what people might say to that.”

Ugh,  _ the feelings _ .

Roman bit his cheek so he wouldn’t let all that stupid love flood through him. He let his head hang back and closed his eyes, the sun on his face, the warmth of Tej’s by his side.

He wouldn’t say shit. Oh no. He hadn’t words for that yet.

What he did was slowly take Tej’s hand and entangled their fingers together.

Tej’s grip was solid and warm.

“Is this a bro thing or can I break out the news to Ramsey already?”

Roman laughed, he wished Tej could see how much lighter he felt, how well receive Tej was making him feel. Jesus, was that how it was to find a place of his own.

“I think that one night of ice cream and rom coms will do.” Roman answered.

“Good, that’s good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed!


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